for my father to NOT sue the doctors?

[immortalwife]

My MIL seems to think this is a possibility. I don't think its appropriate.

My DM was rushed to Hosp on weds night with really bad cardiac issues. They thought heart attack, then heart infection, now they say they don't know. Proper worried about her.

The thing is, she's been seeing her gp for 2 ½ weeks about a fever and chest pain and he said she was being melodramatic and alarmist about the menopause. He actually said that. She's mid forties, too, not that I don't realise heart probs happen to anyone at any age. Bit of a shock really.

Does anyone think DF should complain/litigate about this gp? He has form for not really bothering to diagnose but my mum obviously has something unusual. I just think that during a man for something that's probably rare and not obvious is silly.

As I understand it, to have a case your DM would have to prove that the GP missed something that other, competent doctors would have spotted and also that the delay in spotting it has lead to a significantly worse outcome than if it hadn't been delayed.

I would just report it so it is noted but no way sue.

Why is suing no longer a last option? When did it become the first course of action in any difficulties?

I'm sure this can be sorted out without the need to involve legal action. Unless of course your family are just looking to make a bit if money out of the situation? In which case they can take their chances, but I don't really see anything here that screams negligence

I'm sorry to hear about your DM. I hope they figure it out and she gets better soon. I would suggest at least waiting until you have a diagnosis. If she's been in hospital more than three days without being able to figure it out, where there are a lot more specialists and tests, it does suggest something rather unusual/complicated for a GP to spot. If your mum isn't happy with her care, when better, then she could always start by putting in a complaint to the practice, then if she wasn't happy think about a lawyer.

Sorry to hear about your Mum. I hope she is on the road to recovery.

I think you need to focus on your Mum's health, and alienating her GP is not going to assist with this in the short term. You could of course make a complaint to the BMA, but is it really going to help?

Are you going to be able to find a new GP for your Mum in a short time? Is there another GP within the practise she could attend? If there is a senior partner within the practise, it might be an idea to discuss your concerns with him or her.

No they aren't cream pie.

I don't even think it would have crossed his mind to sue, just that it was mentioned to me as"he isn't going to sue is he?!"

Its more the way my mum was treated by the gp before being rushed to the cardiac unit... Like she was making it up, or exaggerating.

to you and your DM.

Medical litigation is a horrible experience. Unless the patient has been left needing care for life and it has to be paid for somehow - don't do it.

i am sorry your mother was ill .but sorry she is fine you can,t sue for everything .my 18 year old son had menigitis as a baby .first gp said its just an infection .i took him back 4 hrs later saw another he was rushed to hospital .i was angry and told gp this he apologised .but i was just glad my child was alive .as i said not everything is a court case .

Yes we switched to another gp beryl. New doc is lovely, and sent her straight to hospital.

Irvin Mitchell handled my mother's malpractice suit (well, really my father's suit, since my mother had died after being misdiagnosed and sent home from hospital to die.) They have branches across the country and i believe do an initial consultation for free. Trouble is, as well as what Lou said, in this country you only get financial compensation if you can prove that you have lost out financially. In our case, the hospital admitted full liability and paid compensaition, but since my mum was disabled and couldnt work, this wasn't a huge amount; it would have been much more if my dad had died and left my mum behind. So if your DM can't work after she leaves hospital because of this misdiagnosis, she might be able to make a claim. but it's not like the US, where you can get enormous sums for suffering and distress etc, so we were told.

Contact the practice manager and outline everything to them. Your dad should feel free to detail the emotional load this has caused, the belittling of your mum is not acceptable, in any way at all.

But suing is daft, harrowing and often unfulfilling as the outcome is so tied up in legalese, compassion and common sense seems to be thrown out of the window. My dad has driven 2 investigations and a full blown coroner's inquest and was deeply dissatisfied both times. He had a good point both times, care plans had been failed and insane decisions made, but the framework is very convoluted.

The coroner in my uncle's inquest apologised before he ruled. He was clearly annoyed that he had to rule as he did. Dad still considers his brother to have been 'murdered' due to a carer's negligence - and for once I wholeheartedly agree with him.

think you need to find out what it wrong tbh. if she has been in hospital, and they still dont know what is wrong, you'd be hard pushed to prove that the go should have,